


the world might do me in

by xylophones



Series: Monster Week 2017 [5]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Ghost Hunters, Dead People, Exorcisms, Friendship, Getting Together, Ghost Hunters, Horror, Light Angst, M/M, Romance, Spirits, Spooky, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-26 22:44:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12567856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xylophones/pseuds/xylophones
Summary: Yuuri meets Viktor Nikiforov on a beautiful autumn day.Friday the 13th. Some might say it’s a bad omen, but Yuuri’s never been particularly superstitious.But, who knows, maybe Viktor can make a believer out of him.(Or: It takes a super spooky haunting to bring these two together.)





	the world might do me in

**Author's Note:**

> hello!!! welcome to the last day of my yoi monster week 2017!!  
> this one is spookier than the others, so be warned. there's a fair amount of spooky imagery so if you're easily scared maybe skip this one??  
> title is from [Ghost by the Mystery Skulls](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlEb3L1PIco) (i know, its a little on the nose)

 

 

 

Yuuri loves autumn. He loves the way the trees look when the leaves change color, like brilliant fires burning atop bark skeletons. He loves how the wind will pick up the fallen leaves, swirling around his ankles on his walk to work. He loves how it’s an excuse to bust out his bulkiest, softest sweaters–– and his cardigans with the elbow patches that Phichit says makes him look like a “sexy English professor”–– and the chunky hand-knitted scarves that his mom sends him all the way from Japan.

Yuuri meets Viktor Nikiforov on a beautiful autumn day.

Friday the 13th. Some might say it’s a bad omen, but Yuuri’s never been particularly superstitious.

But, who knows, maybe Viktor can make a believer out of him.

 

* * *

  

He’s running late to work.

This isn’t normally a problem. He is, after all, his own boss. He and Phichit proudly co-own Beans and Bindings, a café and a bookstore joined with a shared lounge for students.

While he could, theoretically, come in at any time he wants, he prides himself on being a _fair_ boss, and he doesn’t like leaving Minami to open up the shop by himself. Minami is more than capable, but he’s still an accident-prone kid and Yuuri prefers to keep a close eye on him. Plus, with recent … _occurrences,_ Yuuri would rather that no one was at the shop alone.

But today he decides that his employees need a treat, so he stops by Yuuko’s bakery on his way to work to pick up some muffins and coffee. And then he sees that they’re having a special on pumpkin spice cookies, so he buys those, too. And while he’s there, he might as well pick up some food for Phichit and _his_ employees, too, since technically they’re also _Yuuri’s_ employees, and––

And then he gets distracted talking to Yuuko and ends up thirty minutes late.

“Minami!” Yuuri calls, shouldering his way through the door, his arms laden with baked goods. They smell so _good_. Yuuko and Takeshi’s muffins are truly magical. “Sorry I’m late! I got food!”

Yuuri sets the box and drinks down on the counter and looks around the shop. Dead quiet.

“Minami?”

A cold breeze blows through the shop. Yuuri frowns. He really needs to get that draft checked out. Or maybe it’s a problem with the insulation?

“Min–– _Ah!”_

Yuuri had just checked his phone for a second, but when he looks back there’s a small blond child staring at him, half hidden behind the bookshelves.

“Um!” Yuuri squeaks, alarmed.

“Are you Katsuki?” the kid asks, stepping fully into the light now. He’s got the kind of dark circles under his eyes that Yuuri associates with only his most sleep deprived customers, college students.

“Y-Yes?” Yuuri clears his throat. “We don’t open for another thirty minutes and I don’t really know how you got in, but if you’re looking for a particular book––”

“I’m not looking for a dumb book.” He marches right up to Yuuri and takes a fist full of Yuuri’s favorite dark blue sweater. He starts tugging Yuuri by the sleeve, leading him towards the lounge that connects Yuuri’s bookstore and Phichit’s café. “You’re late. We’ve been waiting for you.”

“What?”

Yuuri stumbles into the lounge and finds all of his and Phichit’s employees, plus a group of four strangers. Leo and Guang Hong are wearing their Beans aprons, even though Yuuri’s pretty sure they don’t work morning shifts. Seung-Gil and Sara aren’t even supposed to come in to the bookstore today. What are they all doing here?

All conversation stops as everyone turns to look at Yuuri and the blond kid still currently dragging him by the sweater sleeve.

Immediately, Yuuri’s social anxiety goes through the roof.

“I’m so sorry,” he blurts out, “I didn’t buy enough pumpkin spice cookies for all of you!”

_Why_ did he say that? He could have said _literally_ anything else. He could have politely introduced himself and then asked about these strangers, _like an adult._

Phichit perks up. “Pumpkin spice cookies? From the Nishigori’s?”

Yuuri nods wordlessly. He gestures back towards his shop.

“There’s no time for cookies right now,” Yuuri’s new bracelet growls. “We have work to do.”

“Calm down, Yura,” one of the strangers–– a very handsome man with silver hair–– cuts in. “Let Yuuri have a seat.”

The kid–– Yura?–– lets go of Yuuri, who makes a beeline for the armchair that Phichit is curled up in. He perches on the arm, observing the other people in the room warily.

“What’s going on?”

“We are––” the silver haired man pauses for effect–– “the Ghoul Gang!”

“Oh, I thought I recognized you,” Sara gasps. Next to her, Seung-Gil scowls.

“Like, from the TV show?”

“Yes! I’m Viktor, head ghost hunter. This is Yuri, Chris, Georgi, and Mila!” Viktor points to where various members of his team are seated on the lounge couches.

Yuuri leans closer to Phichit and whispers, “What’s the Ghoul Gang?”

Yuri–– or Yura? Yuuri still isn’t sure–– overhears him. “Ignore our stupid name. We’re the best ghost hunters in the world.”

“Yuuri, how have you _not_ seen the Ghoul Gang?” Leo asks him. “It’s like the biggest ghost hunting show of all time! Guang Hong and I have seen every episode.”

Yuuri shrugs. “I don’t believe in ghosts.”

Viktor and the rest of the Gang give Yuuri a _look_. Next to him, Phichit snorts.

“Yuuri, how can you _not_ believe in ghosts with all the spooky shit that’s been happening lately? What about all these supernatural forces bothering you?” Phichit asks him. Yuuri frowns.

“What? What _supernatural forces_? Phichit, what––” Realization suddenly dawns on him. “ _Oh_. Okay, I see. This is all a big misunderstanding.”

Phichit groans, burying his face in his hands. Yuuri rolls his eyes.

Viktor frowns. “A… misunderstanding?”

“See, Phichit thinks we’re haunted.”

“It’s because we _are_ haunted!”

Yuuri glares. “We’re _not_. Just because some things have fallen off some shelves––”

“––and doors unlock and lock by themselves! And there is a _literal_ ghost woman walking around, or is that also explainable.”

“Look, we’re both young business owners,” Yuuri says. “Neither of us get a lot of sleep. We’re probably seeing things because you insist on watching all those scary movies.”

“So, you admit to seeing her!”

Yuuri doesn’t bother answering that. He turns back to Viktor and the gang. “So, like a month ago I found this weird book in our weekly shipments. It was, like, a little girl’s diary from the 1800s. Anyway, it was sealed with wax and I opened it, and now Phichit thinks we’re haunted.”

“So,” Yuri says slowly, “you opened a creepy diary from, like, the prime ghost century and then spooky shit started happening and you _still_ don’t think you’re haunted.”

“Yuuri, you may not think we’re haunted, but the rest of us do.” Phichit nods at everyone else. “Poor Minami is terrified to come into work.”

“I love working here, Yuuri!” Minami says. “You’re, like, the best boss and the best role model and I’m so grateful! But we are definitely, 100% being haunted by the scary ghost lady that you released with that scary ghost diary!”

“You’ve started reading the Stephen King stuff again, haven’t you?” Yuuri asks.

“That’s irrelevant!” Minami insists, which tells Yuuri everything he needs to know.

“I’m really sorry to waste your time,” Yuuri says to Viktor.

“Okay, why don’t we just… hang out? The team and I will just hang around the shop, make some observations. If it’s really not haunted, like you said, then we’ll go.”

Yuuri thinks about it. There really isn’t a reason they _can’t_ hang out. And… Viktor is really cute. And he’s batting his lashes and looking at Yuuri like he’s an interesting puzzle that Viktor is itching to solve.

And Yuuri is really, _really_ gay.

“Okay,” Yuuri says slowly. “If it’ll make everyone else feel better, then it’s okay with me.”

“Great!” Viktor springs up from the couch and bounds towards Yuuri. “If we’re going to be around, we should get to know each other! Let’s start now!”

Yuuri squeaks, but he lets Viktor lead him out of the lounge and back into his bookshop.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yuuri thinks he sees a flash of long, inky black hair.

 

* * *

 

“I cannot _believe_ you called ghost hunters,” Yuuri says loudly, as he strides into his and Phichit’s apartment. “ _Ghost hunters_.”

Phichit pokes his head out of the kitchen. “You weren’t complaining earlier, when you literally spent hours talking to Viktor.”

Yuuri shrugs out of his thicker overcoat and pads into the kitchen. Phichit is making curry and it smells delicious. “He’s interesting. That still doesn’t change the fact that you called them for no reason.”

Phichit sighs heavily. “Just give them a week? Please? I know you don’t believe in ghosts or whatever, but something is seriously going on.”

Yuuri considers Phichit carefully. He looks so _tired_. So much older than twenty.

It was very risky, dropping out of school to follow their dreams. But it’s been paying off. Their joint coffee shop and bookstore has really started taking off. It feels like they’ve been barely breaking even for months, but now they’re doing alright. Phichit started saving up his extra money for a plane ticket to visit his family.

Yuuri pushes up his sleeves and shuffles over to stand next to Phichit. “Okay, one week. Now, do you want me to chop vegetables?”

Phichit grins at him and hands him a knife.

 

* * *

  

The next week passes in a blur. When Viktor isn’t sitting with him during his lunch breaks, he’s sitting next to him while Yuuri’s working the register, or just hanging out near him.

Viktor is the most interesting person Yuuri has ever met. He says the most morbid things, but his enthusiasm is so adorable that Yuuri can’t help but be enchanted. He asks Yuuri a lot of questions about himself, Yuuri’s likes and dislikes, pet peeves, favorite movies, _everything_.

Yuuri gets along fine with the rest of the Gang, Christophe especially. He’s sort of slotted himself into Phichit and Yuuri’s friendship as the long awaited third Musketeer. Surprisingly, Yuri’s next fastest friend from the Gang is Yuri, Viktor’s little brother and a history major at the local university, just like Yuuri was before he dropped out. He has a lot of very loud, very passionate opinions about some of Yuuri’s favorite books. And about most things. It’s very charming.

Yuuri comes into work on Friday to find the Gang already there, loitering around the front of the shop as they wait for someone to let them in.

“You know, we don’t open until six,” Yuuri says, unlocking the door. “You could have just come in later.”

“And miss seeing you first thing in the morning?” Viktor takes Yuuri’s coat for him and hangs it up on the rack. “Help me, Yura and Chris are fighting.”

“For the last time, Chris!” Yuri growls. “We’re not calling ourselves the _Ghost Fuckers!_ ”

Chris saunters in, dropping a kiss onto the top of Yuuri’s head. Yuuri bats him away playfully. “Ghost Fuckers is an awful name.”

“See? Katsudon agrees with me. That means I win!” Yuri declares.

It’s Viktor and the Ghoul Gang’s last day with them. Yuuri tries not to let that get him down as he sets up around the shop. When Phichit comes in, twenty minutes later, he makes them all coffee because he is a _godsend_ and Yuuri loves him to death.

Viktor stays with him the whole day, even after everyone else goes home and it’s only the two of them, reshelving books in the near quiet.

“You know, you don’t have to be ghost hunting to hang out,” Yuuri says casually, pushing along the bookcart.

Viktor trails behind him, brushing his fingertips along the rows of book spines as he goes. “Oh?”

“I like having you around.” Yuuri reaches into the cart, pulling out _1984_. He stretches up on his tiptoes, trying to slot the book into its proper space on the shelf.

“I like _being_ around.”

Viktor steps in close, taking the book from Yuuri’s hands. He reaches up and shelves it, not looking away from Yuuri’s face. “Yuuri. I know it’s only been a week, but I like you a lot. I’d like to get to know you better.”

“Viktor.”

“Do you want to go out sometime?” Viktor tilts his head adorable, but Yuuri can’t focus on him right now.

“Vik– tor,” Yuuri repeats, his voice shaking.

Black, inky hair, flowing out behind her like she’s underwater. A white, soaked through dress, dripping on the wood floor. White eyes, no pupils.

“What––” Viktor turns around and sees her. Every muscle in his body freezes. “Okay. Okay, it’s okay. Yuuri, listen to me. Go into the lounge and spread salt across the perimeter of the room. Don’t open the door, no matter what.”

Yuuri nods silently and turns––

––and is suddenly face-to-face with the ghost.

He tries to scream, but he can’t. His lungs feel like they’re filling up with water, his limbs are suddenly made of lead. She floats closer, their faces only millimeters apart in a horrific mirror of how he’d just been with Viktor a couple minutes ago.

“ _S’il vous plaît,_ ” she gasps, her voice cracked and pained. “ _Aidez-moi, s’il vous plaît.”_

“I-I don’t understand––”

The ghost lets out a ghastly wail, loud enough the rattle the entire store, sending books tumbling off shelves.

“ _Vous m'aiderez,”_ she hisses, _“Ou vous mourrez en essayant.”_

Then she melts into the air, like ink in water, until there’s nothing left but Yuuri’s wrecked bookshop and deafening silence.

 

* * *

 

Yuuri calls a staff meeting in the lounge the next day.

“Okay, so,” he starts, “I just wanna say that I’m sorry I didn’t believe any of you. We’re definitely haunted.”

Phichit comes over and sets a mug of hot chocolate in front of him. “I’d like to say I told you so, but I’m honestly more worried about your well-being at this point.”

“What happened last night?” Minami asks. “You don’t look so good, Yuuri.”

“Does it have anything to do with why the shop is a mess?” Sara gestures back towards the door that leads to Bindings. “Seung-Gil and I did our best to clean it up, but–– I mean, it looks like a tornado tore through it.”

“So, I saw the ghost.”

Yuuri tells them the entire story, minus the more horrific details. He doesn’t want to scare them.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you,” Phichit says. “I shouldn’t have gone home early, I should have––”

“You could have gotten hurt,” Yuuri interrupts. “And then who would run things? We’re stretched thin as it is.”

“So, what do we do now?” Leo asks. “Do we let the Ghoul Gang do their thing?”

Yuuri sighs. “I think I should close up shop until we figure this out.”

There’s a loud burst of protest from everyone in the room. Yuuri waves a hand to quiet them.

“I can’t risk anyone getting hurt,” Yuuri says. “And since Bindings is the only place being affected, the coffee shop can stay open.”

Phichit frowns. “But we can’t be Beans and Bindings without the _Bindings_.”

“We can set out a small bookshelf here in the lounge,” Yuuri concedes.

“This isn’t about sales, Yuuri. We have enough money to keep us going for some time. I’m worried about _you_. This bookstore is your life.”

“Phichit,” Yuuri sighs. “I’m serious. What I saw last night–– I can’t have any of you experience that level of fear. Let me and the Gang figure it out.”

Yuuri takes a sip of his hot chocolate. It’s warm and comforting, like a hug in a drink. Phichit added in a dash of chili, just how Yuuri likes it. He feels a sudden rush of affection for him. If Yuuri had never opened that stupid diary, none of this would have happened.

Yuuri closes his eyes. He smells the faint scent of sea water, hanging ominously in the air.

 

* * *

 

“So!”

Viktor drops a thick stack of books on the table, causing Yuuri to snap to attention. They’re in the back room of Bindings, hoping to get some research done on _why_ the shop is being haunted.

Well, they know why. It’s because Yuuri opened the diary when he shouldn’t have. But, Viktor insists that there’s more to it, which is why they need to gather evidence and what not before they can… vanquish the spirit? Exorcise her? Yuuri is still a little fuzzy on the details.

“What we have is a category five ghost haunting,” Viktor says. The stack of books looms over Yuuri.

“What does that mean?”

“It means that someone has unfinished business, and they’ve latched onto your shop in order to keep themselves on this plane of reality.”

Yuuri picks up one of the books. It reads _Hauntings and You: How to Put Those Pesky Spirits to Rest_. Yuuri looks at Viktor and raises an eyebrow.

“Okay, so some of these books aren’t the most… professional,” Viktor rubs the back of his neck. “Look, we’re not exactly high academia here.”

Yuuri waves a hand. “I don’t care about credibility. Academia isn’t going to save me, you are.”

Viktor grins. He takes the seat next to Yuuri, maybe closer than necessary. “Terminology: a category five is what we call a spirit who materializes and can manipulate the environment around them.”

“Okay, but she didn’t show herself before, and the… _haunting_ , is that what you called it? That has been going on for at least a month.”

“She may feel threatened,” Viktor says. “Or she’s getting desperate.”

Something creaks overhead. Yuuri and Viktor look up in unison.

“It’s an old building,” Yuuri whispers. “It creaks like that all the time.”

A sob echoes through the building, rafters shuddering with the force of it.

Viktor gives him a deadpan look. “Do old buildings cry like that, too?”

Yuuri glares. “Give me a break, I’m new to this.”

They gather up the books and vacate the back room, instead setting up in the lounge where they’d first met. Phichit and Yuuri were in the process of collecting more furniture, so Yuuri and Viktor need to share the couch in front of the coffee table. It’s very cozy. Yuuri can feel himself blushing, despite the slight draft coming in from the open window. It’s pretty late, so no one else is here. Yuuri tries not to think too much about how much time he’s been spending with Viktor lately.

“Category five, materializes and throws things, very spooky. What else?” Yuuri asks.

“She’s obviously very emotional, which is probably connected to her death. We need to find out how she died, why she’s still here, and then maybe we can send her on her way peacefully.”

“Peacefully?”

Viktor grimaces. “There are certain ghost… well, the only word for them are _exterminators_. There are easier ways to get rid of ghosts, burning their remains or belongings is the fastest way. But it’s painful and dangerous, both for the living and the dead. We only do it as a last resort.”

Yuuri nods. “I guess if I was a ghost, I’d want someone to be considerate with my remains.”

Viktor picks up one of the books from the stack and opens it up to show Yuuri. He points at an illustration, done in dark brown ink on very old looking paper.

“You can trap a ghost in a salt circle, or seal yourself off from it,” Viktor explains. “Holy water will also work, but it’s obviously harder to make a circle with water than it is with salt. Iron works too, if a spirit is coming at you and all you have is a crow bar. It burns up their energy.”

The picture in the book is a diagram of a set of iron cuff bracelets, with hooks for attaching bags of salt or holy water. Like a ghost hunting Wonder Woman costume.

“We don’t like to hurt them, but it’s important you know how to protect yourself.”

“She seemed more sad than angry,” Yuuri recalls. “Like she just wanted someone to listen to her.”

Viktor pulls a face. “That’s… almost what she was saying.”

“She was speaking french, I think. Did you understand?”

Viktor nods. “Both Chris and I are fluent. She said, basically, that she wants us to help her or die trying.”

“Oh,” Yuuri says, his voice pitching up with anxiety. “Death. Okay.”

Viktor digs through his bag and hands Yuuri a carton of regular Morton salt. “Keep this on you at all times. Now, let’s start with the diary.”

The work well into the night, examining the diary for clues. Viktor insists they don’t open it, since it might summon her and that’s the _last_ thing they want right now. Yuuri is suddenly _very_ glad that he almost majored in history, since he doesn’t have too much trouble narrowing down the time period it’s from.

“I’m thinking, mid 1800s. Maybe 20s to 40s, give or take a decade.”

“France, definitely,” Viktor says, examining the writing on the outside of the diary.

Yuuri frowns. “Then, what’s it doing here? The shipment came from New York.”

They don’t get much farther that night, since sometime after midnight Yuuri nods off and wakes up on Viktor’s shoulder. He’s mortified, but also pleased that Viktor just let him sleep. They decide to call it a night and pick up again in the morning.

 

* * *

 

Yuuri does more research in the next week than he did in his entire time at university. Phichit occasionally comes into Bindings to leave them food and check up on them. Yuuri notices that Phichit’s been biting his nails again.

“I’m just worried,” Phichit says, when Yuuri calls him out on it.

“We’re going to be okay,” Yuuri tries to reassure him.

“Look, usually I’m the one all for a supernatural adventure––” Phichit starts to wring his hands–– “but, this is a little _too_ spooky. And you’re working very closely with it. Just, watch out, okay? Be careful. I only have _one_ best friend.”

“Aw, Phichit.” Yuuri pulls him into a hug. Phichit is always so warm, and Yuuri has felt so cold lately. Almost like he’s been underwater, muted and distant.

Phichit pulls back and looks around at the various books and artifacts scattered around the room. He cracks his signature sunshine smile. “It’s almost like our dorm, back in school. Books and random shit everywhere.”

Yuuri laughs lightly. “There’s a lot of consulting old, dusty books. Some of these things are centuries old.”

“We should ask Professor Ciao Ciao for help. He’s probably older than anything here.”

Yuuri snorts. “Ciao Ciao predates the big bang.”

Phichit smile gets brighter. He pats Yuuri on the head. “I better get back to work. Tell Viktor there’s a sandwich waiting for him in Beans, once he gets back from… why _are_ you here all alone?”

As if summoned, Viktor materializes in the doorway, hefting another stack of books over his hip.

“I got the books on early nineteenth century France and–– oh! Hi, Phichit!”

“Hey there, Mr. Conjuring,” Phichit greets him. Viktor groans.

“That movie horrible misrepresents the ghost hunting community and––”

“Okay, I’m going! Have fun with your spooky books!”

Yuuri smiles as Phichit leaves. He’s like a fresh breath of air, keeping Yuuri centered even when he’s at his most anxious. Yuuri wants all this to be over, so they can go back to their old, peaceful life.

“I found something while you were gone,” Yuuri says to Viktor. He motions him over, letting Viktor lean over Yuuri, one hand on the back of Yuuri’s chair and the other on the table next to his hand. He smells like old books and peppermint. Yuuri almost loses his train of thought.

“So, it turns out a lot of people were fleeing France for New York at this time. A lot of people were unhappy with the monarchy, which meant there were a lot of uprisings.”

“You think our ghost tried to leave France like this?”

Yuuri nods. “It would explain the salt water, and the general drippiness. She might have been on a boat when it wrecked.”

“Or,” Viktor says slowly, “someone could have pushed her out the boat.”

They’re both quiet for a moment. Yuuri swears he sees a flicker of jet black hair in his peripheral, but when he looks, it’s gone.

“It would explain why the diary is intact.” Viktor and Yuuri both look over to the front of the shop, as if they can see it. They’ve taken to storing the diary in the locked register box. Every time someone touches it, their hands come away wet with seawater and the shop starts to flood. It’s better if it’s locked up.

“It would also explain why she’s so upset,” Yuuri whispers. “She came to America to avoid violence but got murdered before she could even get here.”

They sit in silence for a while, contemplating their theory.

“Come on, let’s go into Beans,” Viktor says, tugging Yuuri to stand. “We’ve done enough work today. Yura and Chris will be here soon, and Mila should show up for Sara’s shift at six.”

Yuuri nods and follows Viktor out the door.

Before he closes it behind him, he sees her, standing back behind the stacks. Watching.

Waiting.

 

* * *

 

“I’m glad I met you,” Yuuri says one night, out of the blue while they’re pouring over ship logs from the 1800s. “Even if this is probably the most horrific month of my life, I’m glad I met you.”

“Me, too,” Viktor replies. He scoots closer until he and Yuuri are pressed right up against each other on the couch, warm and safe.

For now.

 

* * *

 

They’re getting close to unlocking this whole thing, Yuuri can feel it.

Today, they’re in the lounge, nursing coffees and balancing immigration records between them. Chris stopped by half an hour ago and delivered them some snacks, but for right now it’s just Yuuri and Viktor.

“Yuuri?” Viktor asks hesitantly. “Can I––? Is it alright if I ask you something?”

Yuuri looks up from the ancient tome he’s been pouring over. “Sure? Is everything okay?”

“I just–– Okay, so I realize that this is probably not a good time to ask about this,” Viktor continues, running a hand through his hair. It flows out from in between his fingers, silky and bright like moonlight. He gives Yuuri a shy smile. “But, uh. Remember when we saw, um, _her_? Well, before that I was kind of trying to ask you out? And I’ve kind of been left hanging for a couple days–– which! Totally understandable! But, um, would you like to go out sometime?”

Yuuri blinks. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were waiting. I thought my answer was kind of obvious?”

“Um. No, it wasn’t,” Viktor says. His leg is bouncing underneath the table, which Yuuri thinks is really endearing. “And, honestly, I’m kind of still lost? Help me out?”

Yuuri smiles at him as softly as he can. He’s never been the most confident guy, especially when it comes to romance, but there’s just something about Viktor Nikiforov that makes Yuuri’s brave streak surface. “Let me clarify.”

He takes off his glasses, folding them and gently setting them aside. Viktor’s watching him with wide, hopeful eyes as Yuuri shifts closer, bringing their faces millimeters apart. He licks his lips.

“Can I?” Yuuri whispers.

Viktor nods minutely. This close, Yuuri can smell the caramel latte on his breath, the clean smell of his soap. Yuuri cups his face gently and leans in to kiss him.

Which is, of course, the exact moments the lights flicker.

“Honestly, at this point it’s kind of rude,” Viktor says loudly.

Yuuri giggles. “Don’t be mean to her, she’s trying her best.”

The lights continue to flicker ominously. Viktor sighs.

“Next time,” Yuuri promises, as he begins to take his earplugs out in preparation.

“Next time,” Viktor says back, but his words are drowned out in ghostly wailing.

 

* * *

 

Something’s not right.

Yuuri knows something's not right the moment he steps into Bindings, late Friday night. He motions for Viktor to be quiet and slowly creeps inside, taking care to stop the bell above the door from ringing. It’s quiet inside, but not naturally quiet. Dead quiet. Viktor rests a hand on the small of Yuuri’s back, just letting him know he’s there. Together, they continue further into the store.

Yuuri’s checking out the children’s books when he hears it. Rustling, the sounds of furniture scraping against wood, muffled sobs all coming from the backroom. He and Viktor look at each other, and slowly pad closer to the back.

Suddenly, an anguished cry rips through the store. Yuuri would recognize that voice anywhere.

“Phichit!”

Yuuri tears his way to the backroom, leaping over stacks of books and puddles of sea water. He throws open the door, shouldering past a fallen shelf draped with seaweed, dripping inky black fluid.

Phichit is floating in the middle of the room, his body parallel to the ground, soaked in that same ghostly dark fluid that was splattered all over the shop. There are books and cups surrounding him, floating in his orbit and crusted over with barnacles and seaweed. On the floor, burned into the wood, is a pentagram.

“Phichit!” Yuuri calls again. He rushes forward.

As soon as he tries to step into the pentagram, he’s thrown back. He crashes into Viktor, who was right behind him. The ghost materializes before them, standing in between them and Phichit, dripping, dripping, dripping.

“ _Non!”_ she hisses. She drifts closer. “ _J'allais l'utiliser, mais…._ ”

“Use him for what?” Viktor shouts. Yuuri sees him reaching into his bag for salt.

She glares at Viktor and, with a flick of her wrist, sends him flying to the opposite end of the room. He crashes into a table with a loud thud. Yuuri starts towards him, but she grabs his arm to stop him.

Her grip is cold and clammy, so icy that Yuuri flinches back automatically. He tugs, but she hangs on, leering forward. Her blank eyes bore into Yuuri’s soul.

“ _... mais maintenant vous êtes ici_ ,” she smiles, ghastly and horrible. “ _C’est parfait._ ”

“Viktor!” Yuuri shouts, looking over to where VIktor is clambering to his feet, brandishing a bag of salt and some holy water. “What’s she saying?”

“You’re here, now,” Viktor quotes. “What do you want with him?”

She doesn’t answer. Instead she let’s out a screech and starts dragging Yuuri towards the pentagram.

“ _J'ai besoin que vous me compreniez_ ,” she whispers. She strokes Yuuri’s face and sets him down under Phichit’s floating body.

“Understand?” Viktor gasps. “The diary! Yuuri, here!”

Viktor tosses Yuuri the holy water and salt. Some of the holy water splashes on her and she screams.

“Make a circle! I need to get the diary!”

Viktor races out of the room and Yuuri tries not to panic. The ghost is smiling at him, black water dripping from her open mouth. She circles him and Phichit, but she doesn’t touch him again. She just looks. Yuuri puts down a circle of salt and tugs on Phichit’s arm, trying to bring him down. He won’t budge.

“You want me to understand you?” Yuuri asks, thinking about what Viktor said.

“ _Oui_.”

“Then I need you to let him go.” Yuuri tries to keep his voice steady. Through the open door, Yuuri can just barely see Viktor running back, diary in hand.

“Yuuri!”

Viktor tosses him the diary. His momentum brings him crashing into the invisible barrier of the pentagram. The ghost wails and conjures up a flood of salt water, pushing Viktor back until he’s pressed up against the corner, trying not to drown amidst the onslaught of water.

Yuuri’s hands shake as he flips through the pages, trying to find the last page, the last entry before she died––

There!

“Your name was Éponine,” Yuuri says. The ghost turns her attention away from Viktor to Yuuri. “You died in 1832. Your last journal entry says that you thought your uncle might try to kill you to get to your family fortune.”

The water stops. Éponine drifts around the room, as if caught in a tide. Yuuri continues.

“You were coming to America to make a new home for you and your brother, when he pushed you off the boat, didn’t he? He killed you and then pawned off your diary for the extra money.”

Éponine’s eyes flicker. She blinks, revealing brown eyes not too different from Yuuri’s own.

“Èponine,” Yuuri breathes out. “I’m here. I understand you.”

The wailing stops. The cups and books drop all at once, crashing to the ground in a loud cacophony. Éponine disolves out into the air without another sound, leaving only the faint smell of the ocean. Before she goes, she whispers something. Yuuri doesn’t catch it, but he thinks it might have been a thank you.

Phichit floats down gently, landing in the middle of the floor. Yuuri abandons the diary and runs to him.

“Phichit?”

His eyes flutter open. He gives Yuuri a weak smile.

“Who you gonna call?” he rasps weakly.

“Ghostbusters,” Yuuri answers, laughing in relief. He looks over to where Viktor is gathering up the diary, gingerly placing it back in its wooden chest.

“Is it over?” Yuuri asks. The shop is quiet.

“It’s over,” Viktor says.

 

* * *

 

Yuuri fiddles with the keys to his apartment.

Phichit is out tonight and Viktor is filming the conclusion to this episode. Yuuko and Takeshi are probably busy with the kids. His best bet for tonight is to make himself some dinner and then try not to watch _too_ many episodes of MasterChef in a row.

Or, he _could_ go back to the shop and finish updating the catalogs.

Yuuri shakes his head and unlocks the door. All this haunting stuff helped Yuuri kick his bad habit of overworking himself. Just because it’s done doesn’t mean he should fall back into old routines. Besides, he has a date with Viktor tomorrow, and he’d rather not look like a sleep deprived shell of a man.

It’s dark in the apartment, which is why Yuuri doesn’t notice the hair.

Yuuri takes off his coat, noting that it’s colder than normal. He must have left a window open or something.

_Or something_ , his instincts whisper.

Yuuri ignores chills running up his spine. He flicks on the light.

What he _can’t_ ignore is the water dripping down the walls, running in thick rivulets over framed photos, pooling on the floor in glassy, black puddles.

“ _No_ ,” Yuuri whisperes, horrified. “C’mon, I helped you!”

He rushes into the kitchen and pulls out the salt, quickly spreading it in a protective circle around him. He fumbles for his phone.

The lights go out. Then turn back on. In the farthest, darkest corner of the kitchen, something breathes.

“You stopped! Why are you starting again?” Yuuri scrambles to remember some of the french Viktor taught him. “P-Pourquoi?”

The thing in the corner gathers itself up, rising up until it’s tall enough to almost hit the ceiling, a writhing mass of hair and dripping cloth. Yuuri punches in Viktor’s number without looking. The call connects.

“Yuuri? We just wrapped up filming, what’s––”

“ _J’ai besoin d’un corps,_ ” the thing rasps. On the other end of the phone, Viktor swears.

“It’s still happening? Where are you? Are you still at Bindings?”

“I’m in my apartment,” Yuuri answers. He sinks to the ground, taking care not to disturb his salt circle. “It’s not over, Viktor.”

“Hang on, we’re on our way.” Viktor says something to someone on his end.

“Viktor, I don’t think the shop was haunted,” Yuuri says distantly, not taking his eyes off the monster. “I think _I’m_ haunted.”

“Okay, we can figure this out.” Viktor’s voice is steady, but Yuuri can hear the undercurrent of fear, the hidden uncertainty. “Just, hold on. We’re coming, okay? Just––”

The monster gets down on all fours, its body roiling like the tide. Its limbs are milky white, protruding from the mass of tentacles and hair like splintered bones, slapping on the wet floor as it drags itself towards Yuuri. It’s face–– what used to be the young woman’s–– peers up at Yuuri from underneath a curtain of hair. It’s jaw hangs open, slack.

“ _Tu es mon âme soeur,”_ it says, its voice pouring out from its open mouth, lips motionless, “ _Tu es toute à moi._ ”

Yuuri’s mind races. They did what she asked, they figured out her story. They brought her justice. What more could she–– oh.

“Viktor, don’t come here,” Yuuri says urgently. The phone crackles.

“What? No, Yuuri you’re in danger!”

“Don’t!” Yuuri insists. “Go to Bindings. Find the diary and burn it.”

“Burn it?”

“You said that to get rid of a spirit you need to burn whatever’s keeping it here, right?” Yuuri eyes the creature warily as it starts to pace back and forth, just outside Yuuri’s barrier. “We didn’t burn it because we thought to give her peace, she wanted someone to know her story. We were wrong. She didn’t want peace, she wanted to live again.”

“ _Viens à moi_ ,” it gurgles. “ _Yuuri_.”

Viktor hisses, hearing it say Yuuri’s name. “Okay, we’re going to burn the book. Stay on the line.”

“Okay, I––”

“ _Viens à moi!_ ” it roars insistently. “ _Je ne suis rien sans toi! J'ai besoin de ton aide! Aide-moi! Aide-moi, s’il te plaît! S’il te plaît, s’il te plaît, s’il te plaît!_ ”

It roars, rearing back and smashing the window above the kitchen sink. The wind from outside blows in, pelting Yuuri’s face with broken glass and hale. Yuuri looks down and sees that some of his salt circle is being blown away by the wind.

“Oh no,” he mutters, panicked. “Oh, no no no no!”

He hastily pours more salt over the lines. He doesn’t have much left in the carton.

The monster cackles as more of the salt is blown away and dissolved by the rain water.

“Hang on Yuuri, we’re here,” Viktor says. Yuuri clutches the phone tightly.

“Please hurry.”

“ _C'est sans espoir_ ,” the creature growls, “ _Tu es à moi.”_

The wind blows. Yuuri pours his last bit of salt.

“We have it! Yuuri, we’re––”

The phone is knocked out of his hand as another gust of wind blows away Yuuri’s circle entirely. There’s nothing between him and the monster now. Yuuri thinks fast, flinging the empty salt carton at its face to distract it. He vaults over the kitchen counter and into the livingroom while the creature roars after him. He has more salt in his bag, he _know_ he does. He dashes to his backpack, sitting underneath the coat rack.

He rips it open just as the creature drags itself out of the kitchen, slithering down the hall next to him, hissing and groaning. Yuuri tears through his bag and pulls out the salt, only to find that it’s empty.

Yuuri stares down at it in despair. He looks back up at the monster, drawing closer and closer.

“ _Tu es à moi.”_

“I don’t understand!” Yuuri sobs. He looks up at one of the framed photos lining the hallway, a picture of him and Phichit in front of Beans and Bindings on opening day. “I’m sorry, Phichit.”

Suddenly, the door behind him opens. Phichit steps through the front door of their apartment, wielding an iron rod.

He stops in front of Yuuri’s crumpled form.

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for,” he says, before he swings the rod at the ghost.

Yuuri watches, stunned, as Phichit uses the iron rod to beat the monster back, prodding and slashing in great sweeps that burn off bits of hair and flesh, sending the pools of water receding. Yuuri jumps to his feet and dashes back into the kitchen while Phichit herds the creature into the back corner of the living room. He rummages around the cabinets and pulls out a box of iron nails. He snatches his phone up from the floor where it fell earlier and rushes back into the action.

“Viktor?”

“Yuuri!” Viktor gasps. “I thought you–– I thought she––”

“Phichit saved me.” Yuuri rips open the nail box and pulls one out, throwing it like a dart at the monster’s face. It burns a hole straight through its left eye. “Where’s the book?”

“We’re burning it now.”

Yuuri watches as the ghost burns up before his eyes. It starts at the edges, like burning up a piece of paper. Yuuri drags himself over to where Phichit is leaning heavily on the iron rod, covered in soot and soaked through with seawater. He launches himself at him, sending them both sprawling on the couch.

“You saved me,” Yuuri says, hugging Phichit like his life depends on it–– which, it kind of did. “How did you even know?”

“I sensed a disturbance in the force,” Phichit answers. He squeezes Yuuri back. “I’m kidding. Viktor called and said you were in trouble, so obviously I came to rescue you like the amazing bestfriend that I am.”

They need to get up and sweep away the ashes, mop up the water, board up the busted window. They need to call the Gang and make sure that the book is really burned, that Éponine is gone for good. They need get up and start rebuilding their lives.

But for now, they’re content to lie on the couch, alive.

 

* * *

 

Life goes on.

Yuuri is careful for the next couple of weeks. He watches the corners for any flashes of dark hair, pays attention for the faint smell of a stormy ocean. It looks like he’s in the clear, though there are permanent scorch marks in the apartment and he has _no idea_ how he’s going to explain that to the landlord.

Things are peaceful. Autumn turns to winter, leaving the trees with their skeletons reaching for icy December skies. Yuuri puts up the holiday displays. Minami takes time off to study for finals, but Sara and Seung-Gil help him pick up the slack. Phichit invents a new gingerbread flavored drink with too many shots of espresso. It’s an instant hit with the college students.

Sometimes Yuuri has nightmares. Yuuri tells himself it’s a side effect of surviving.

The dust settles. Life goes on.

 

* * *

 

Yuuri is late for work.

He got distracted at the Nishikori's bakery, _again._ In his defense, they just put out their special Christmas cookies and Yuuri _loves_ the peppermint chocolate ones. He changes his mind, autumn isn’t his favorite holiday anymore, winter is.

“Phichit! Minami!” Yuuri calls, pushing through the door. They added a small bell to the handle and it jingles cheerfully, greeting Yuuri good morning. Yuuri smiles to himself as he sets the food down on the counter and makes his way to the lounge.

Yuuri’s just reaching for the knob when the door opens.

“Oh.” Yuuri blinks. “Hi, Yurio.”

“ _Yura_ ,” Yuri hisses. “I told you to call me _Yura_.”

“Okay, Yura.” Yuuri smiles fondly. “What are you doing here?”

“You’re late as usual, Katsudon. Everyone’s already here.”

Yuuri peaks over Yuri’s head and into the lounge, where all of Yuuri’s friends are hanging out, sprawled across couches and curled up in armchairs. Yuuri grins.

“What’s going on?” Yuuri asks, Yuri trailing into the room behind him.

“ _Solnyshko!_ ” Viktor springs up from the loveseat and comes over to greet him, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. He takes Yuuri by the hand and leads him back over to his seat. “We had something we wanted to ask you.”

“We’re not being haunted again, are we?” Yuuri jokes.

“N-No, or well, maybe? Not by dead things at least?” Viktor smiles sheepishly. “There’s an apartment above the bookstore isn’t there?”

“Uh, yes? Sara used to live there, but she moved out a couple months ago.” Yuuri looks over to where she’s currently cuddled up with Mila. He smiles.

“Yes, well, the Gang and I have been looking for a new place for our headquarters and…”

“And we want to move into the apartment,” Chris finishes. “Let us bother you for a little while, hmm? We’ll probably be gone every couple of weeks for filming, but we’d like to keep all our equipment and office things in one place. My apartment is getting crowded and Masumi is starting to complain.”

Yuuri looks over at Phichit and raises his eyebrow. Phichit nods.

Yuuri nods, too. The group cheers.

Georgi clears his throat. “That’s not all.”

“Oh?” Yuuri tilts his head inquisitively.

“We were wondering if you wanted to work with us,” Georgi continues. “You’re very good with the book stuff, and we’ve been meaning to hire a historian for a while. It won’t take much time away from running the shop, I promise.”

“Oh, no, you are _not_ putting him in danger again,” Phichit protests. “No more spooky stuff. Coming in and saving the day last time was pretty badass of me, but I’m not sure I can do it again.”

“No more spooky stuff,” Viktor promises them, looking back and forth between Phichit and Yuuri. “Just book stuff.”

Yuuri thinks. He’s gone through a lot in these past couple of months. But researching was _fun_. It’s everything that Yuuri thought he’d love about college, back when he was still set on majoring in history. He’d always thought that his lack of interest in his studies had something to do with the subject, but maybe it didn’t. Maybe it was just missing a certain _paranormal_ element.

He has a silent conversation with Phichit across the room, comprised mostly of eyebrow wiggles and smiles. Phichit sticks his tongue out, and Yuuri knows his answer. He turns back to the Gang.

“Let’s bust some ghosts!”

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaannnd that's it!! that's the end of monster week!! it's been a wild ride and honestly i'm kind of exhausted but heyyy i live for spooky aus. a big big big thank you to everyone who's stuck with me, maybe next year i'll make it 7 days?? ooh stay tuned 
> 
> translation notes:  
> translation notes:  
> • “S’il vous plaît,” she gasps, her voice cracked and pained. “Aidez-moi, s’il vous plaît.”  
> \- “Please,” she gasps, her voice cracked and pained. “Help me, please.”  
> • “Vous m'aiderez,” she hisses, “Ou vous mourrez en essayant.”  
> \- “You will help me,” she hisses, “Or you will die trying.”  
> • “Non!” she hisses. She drifts closer. “J'allais l'utiliser, mais….”  
> \- “No!” she hisses. She drifts closer. “I was going to use him, but….”  
> • “… mais maintenant vous êtes ici,” she smiles, ghastly and horrible. “C’est parfait.”    
> \- “… but now you are here,” she smiles, ghastly and horrible. “Perfect.”  
> • “J'ai besoin que vous me compreniez,” she whispers.  
> \- “I need you to understand me,” she whispers.  
> • “Oui.”  
> \- “Yes.”  
> • “J’ai besoin d’un corps,” the thing rasps.  
> \- “I need a body,” the thing rasps.  
> • “Tu es mon âme soeur,” it says, its voice pouring out from its open mouth, lips motionless, “Tu es toute à moi.”  
> \- “You’re my soul mate,” it says, its voice pouring out from its open mouth, lips motionless, “You are all mine.”  
> • “Viens à moi,” it gurgles. “Yuuri.”  
> \- “Come to me,” it gurgles. “Yuuri.”  
> • “Viens à moi!” it roars insistently. “Je ne suis rien sans toi! J'ai besoin de ton aide! Aide-moi! Aide-moi, s’il te plaît! S’il te plaît, s’il te plaît, s’il te plaît!”  
> \- “Come to me!” it roars insistently. “I am nothing without you! I need your help! Help me! Help me, please! Please, please, please!”  
> • “C'est sans espoir,” the creature growls, “Tu es à moi.”  
> \- “It’s hopeless,” the creature growls, “You are mine.”  
> Please let me know if I got anything wrong!! My french is a little rusty and I'm not so good with subjunctives and such!!
> 
> Come say hi!! I'm [xyloophones](https://xyloophones.tumblr.com/) on tumblr!!


End file.
